Last week’s election gave us four fresh faces on the Los Altos City Council and Los Altos School District Board of Trustees. It also gave the public’s blessing to the El Camino Hospital District to collect $148 million to pay for bonds for a rebuilt tower and emergency center.
Now that the dust of the campaigns has settled, let us suggest some general goals for our local governing bodies:
To the Los Altos City Council: We expect new members David Casas, Curtis Cole and Ron Packard to infuse new energy into a council that at times, seemed tired and stagnant to us. We expect a get-it-done approach to long unresolved issues such as the fate of the city-owned First and Main site, improving downtown economic conditions, the pool project at Covington School and traffic tieups at major intersections.
We expect their decisions made based on their own research, not heresy, and by carefully listening to both sides of an issue. We expect actions based on community needs and not those of special interest groups.
To Los Altos School District trustees: We expect the high quality of education to continue, unaffected by the distraction of the charter school issue and the state budget crisis. This is expecting a lot, considering both aforementioned topics dominate local schools’ discussions. However, the district has already shown it can be done, as reflected in the latest state-topping API test scores. We expect the board to balance the needs of the new charter school with the financial needs of the district so that the quality of education is not compromised.
To the El Camino Hospital District: The 70.82 percent favorable vote for a $148 million bond measure was surprising for some, given the still-sorry state of the economy. After all, the number surpassed the 66.7 percent needed by more than 4 percentage points. For voters to give such overwhelming approval underscores the public’s undying support for the hospital.
The district, in turn, owes the public nothing less than a project on time, within budget, and completed to the highest possible standards. The task is formidable, but district officials already have gained public confidence by getting the district’s own financial house in order. After the near-disaster of the mid-1990s integrated delivery system, the hospital has rebounded with budgets in the black, strong reserves and excellent credit ratings. The district also has hired a general contractor who has been involved in the planning and is responsible for keeping materials and labor costs within budget.
The Nov. 4 election results were promising. Let’s hope these results bear tangible fruit.
